Actions

Did MLB team fire veteran for seeking treatment?

A former Los Angeles Dodgers employee is accusing the organization for discrimination after he was dismissed by the squad in 2016, Yahoo! Sports reported.

The employee, 31-year-old Nick Francona, told MLB officials that he thought he was fired from his job as the Dodgers' assistant director of player development after seeking treatment at Home Base, an organization that treats veterans for "invisible wounds of war." The Dodgers deny Francona's claim.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Francona was offered a settlement. The first settlement was for $40,000. He was then offered a second settlement for $150,000 last November.

“While I don’t expect that speaking out on these issues will be universally popular within baseball circles, these issues are far too important to remain silent,” Francona told Yahoo Sports. “I am grateful that my family and friends urged me to stand up for the principles at stake rather than accept an offer of money in exchange for my silence. I believe strongly that the people involved need to be held accountable for their actions.”

MLB is investigating Francona's claim, and Francona has not filed a lawsuit. The Dodgers declined to say why Francona was fired.

“The Dodgers cannot comment on the specific facts or reasons leading to a former employee’s departure from the organization," a team statement read. "However, we can categorically state that Nick Francona’s departure was not the result of any type of discrimination, and it certainly was not the result of his being a veteran.

"This was confirmed by an investigation conducted by independent outside counsel. The Dodgers have the utmost admiration and respect for all of the men and women who serve or have served in the armed forces, and we are very proud of the veterans whom we employ.”

Francona is the son of current Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona.